On the heels of the U.S. EPA announcing plans to propose an air pollution rule to address emissions of ethylene oxide (EtO) at commercial sterilizers, the agency is alerting residents who reside near certain sterilizing plants of the health risks the emissions can cause.
The Environmental Protection Agency is warning residents who live near medical sterilizing plants in 13 states and Puerto Rico about potential health risks from emissions of ethylene oxide, a chemical widely used in their operations.
Laredo, Texas; Ardmore, Oklahoma; and Lakewood, Colorado, are among the communities facing the highest risk from ethylene oxide emissions, EPA said.
The agency has notified 23 commercial sterilizers — 19 in the continental U.S. and four in Puerto Rico — that their operations pose an elevated risk of cancer and other ailments. The notice follows a recent survey of emissions data from almost 100 commercial sterilizers nationwide.
Read the full article at ABC News.
